The ground trembled. A low rumble, like distant thunder, rolled across the plain. From the far end of the horizon, a vast brown mass surged forward, dozens, no, hundreds of long-legged lizards kicking up clouds of dust as they charged together in wild unison.
"The brown Uromastyx," Yuuna announced, raising her wand like a pointer. "Stampede class. Low threat individually, but collectively… city-level damage potential."
"Like ants, but way uglier," Gigih added, flipping open his notebook. "Let the lizard demolition derby begin."
All across the field, adventurer parties readied themselves. Swords were drawn, bows raised, and spells began to shimmer in the air.
The centaur party, led by Orion, charged ahead with military precision. Spears angled forward, they moved as one, hooves pounding like war drums.
"Centaurs taking the classic line formation," Yuuna noted. "Spears for frontal suppression. They're aiming to thin the first wave."
Gigih smirked. "Efficient, but not stylish. They're like a living wall of poking sticks."
The Uromastyx slammed into them, and the centaurs didn't budge. With practiced thrusts, they sent lizard bodies flying high into the air. Dust and brown scales rained down.
"Ten points for air time," Gigih said. "Minus one for lack of flair."
Next, Borlin's dwarf party held their position. Heavy weapons at the ready, they let the stampede come to them. Borlin spun his sword in wide arcs, clearing a path through sheer brute force. Two hammer-wielders guarded the rear, where their healer stood calmly, protected by a tight formation.
Yuuna nodded. "Classic dwarven anchor strategy. Minimal movement, maximum durability."
"Yep," Gigih agreed. "If tanks were shorter and angrier, they'd be these guys."
Meanwhile, the beastfolk moved with grace and deadly elegance. Jetch's party split up, each member handling their own lane. Runa, the dual dagger rogue, weaved through enemies like water, her blades flashing with almost artistic precision.
"Beastfolk agility on full display," Yuuna murmured. "Adaptive positioning, responsive spacing. Runa is clearly the MVP."
Gabyola, watching from the side, clutched her arms. "So fluffy…"
"Focus, Gabyola," Gigih teased. "We can't have our archer defect to the cat tribe mid-battle."
The human party, led by Brand, advanced in a diamond formation. While Hugo bluntly stole kills from the centaur's path with heavy swings, Coria took to flanking untouched targets. Charlotte, their healer, supported them with precision timing.
"Efficient and tactical," Yuuna said. "They're optimizing damage zones and movement cost."
"But Hugo's a kill-stealing gremlin," Gigih muttered. "I bet the centaurs are steaming."
Then came the party's own groups. Adiw shouted joyfully and activated Earthbreaker. The ground cracked as a wave of force exploded forward, launching a dozen Uromastyx into the air.
"Enter muscle boy," Gigih commented. "No finesse, just glorious overkill."
Yetsan, with visible reluctance, followed up using Armor Sync and then a clean Lance Punisher. His movements were smooth, controlled, even if he kept looking down to avoid getting dirt on his armor.
"Support tank reluctantly accepts his fate," Yuuna narrated. "His contribution is cleaner than his conscience."
Sinryo darted into the fray, triggering Shadowstep to vanish mid-charge, reappearing behind a lizard and slicing with Double Slash, then quickly chaining into Quad Slash as more swarmed him. Kyle supported from a distance, sniping targets with precision mana shots, often using Sinryo's positioning as a buffer.
"Sinryo and Kyle, chaos duo activated," Gigih said. "No plan, all instinct."
Yuuna tilted her head. "Actually... Kyle's timing is reactive. He's intentionally baiting through Sinryo's dodges."
"Smart chaos. I stand corrected."
Fahleena leapt into the field, spinning her Keyblade Boomerang overhead.
"Behold! The blade that defies all destiny!" she shouted.
The boomerang sliced through three Uromastyx before returning to her hand like a loyal pet.
"Damage by cringe," Gigih noted. "Fatal levels of secondhand embarrassment."
Orchid charged next, long sword up, drawing a group of lizards toward her. "Come on, I'm right here!" she called out.
Jessica darted in from the side, her katana flashing in synchronized strikes, dispatching enemies one after another while Fahleena's dramatic monologues echoed in the background.
"Team Orchid plays the tank-dancer combo," Yuuna commented. "Orchid pulls aggro, Jessica cleans up, Fahleena… provides narration."
"Lowest kill count, but best teamwork score," Gigih added. "Also the only group to perform with a soundtrack."
Meanwhile, back on the hill, Sakura laid out her picnic blanket.
"Well," she said, pulling a pastry from her magic bag, "I guess we're the commentary crew now."
"Don't forget snacks," Gigih replied, grabbing one.
Yuuna continued scribbling in her notebook. "At this rate, we'll have a full tactical report by the end."
"Plus crumbs," Sakura said, casually sipping juice. "Lots of crumbs."
Fuhiken remained standing nearby, shield ready just in case, eyes scanning the battlefield silently.
Gabyola watched the scene with a mixture of admiration and anxiety. "They're doing well... but let's stay alert. Just in case something weird happens."
"With this group?" Gigih chuckled. "It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when."
---
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long golden shadows across the blood-streaked plains, the last of the brown Uromastyx let out a screech before collapsing under a precise barrage of arrows. The final shot came from Fenris of Daelus' party, but cheers echoed from every group across the field. The stampede was over.
Yuuna stood up, dusting off her skirt and flipping through her notes with calm efficiency. "Three hours, fifty-seven waves, confirmed count by formation. Adiw's group takes the top spot for total kills."
Gigih gave a theatrical bow. "Congratulations to our reigning musclehead and his sparkly sidekick."
"Hey!" Yetsan called out from afar. "I'm not sparkly!"
"Second place goes to Sinryo and Kyle. Somehow," Yuuna added dryly.
"They weaponized chaos. Impressive, if slightly terrifying," Gigih commented.
Yuuna continued, "Third place, Orchid's squad. Cleanest formations and lowest damage intake."
Fahleena raised her hand. "Do I get a special award for most stylish declarations?"
"No," Yuuna replied flatly.
With the stampede ended, the field shifted from battle to cleanup. Parties dispersed into the wreckage, dragging Uromastyx carcasses to makeshift processing zones. The real work was just beginning.
Adiw grinned like a child in a toy store and hoisted his massive greatsword over a lizard corpse. "Alright! Let's crack these open and see what kind of loot we've got..."
"Stop right there!" Sinryo dashed over, arms flailing. "You'll butcher the hide like a barbarian!"
"I call it... rugged dismantling." Adiw laughed.
"That's not a defense! We can sell the skin if it's clean!" Sinryo groaned, grabbing his twin daggers. "Let me handle the carving. You swing that sword and we'll be lucky if we get boots out of the scraps."
"He's right. Let's do this properly." Fuhiken stepped in calmly.
Jessica, Gabyola, and Sakura joined the effort, each pulling out dissection tools from their magic bags.
"Let's make this fast but neat," Gabyola instructed. "Sakura, prep the storage wraps."
"On it," Sakura said, unrolling waxed cloth with surprising speed. "Also, I call dibs on any rare-patterned skins. I want to make lizard-leather lunchboxes."
"That's not a thing," Jessica muttered.
"It is now."
Adiw, now visibly sulky and dragging his feet like a scolded child, was reassigned from butchering lizards to helping Yetsan clean his armor, a task he clearly saw as punishment.
"This feels illegal," he muttered under his breath, glancing at the slimy residue caked across Yetsan's chestplate.
Yetsan, already halfway through scrubbing his greaves with a compact, rune-inscribed cleaning wand, didn't even look up. "Good. Maybe next time you'll think twice before swinging that oversized cleaver at potential merchandise."
Grumbling, Adiw grabbed a spare cloth and reluctantly began wiping down the backplate.
"You know," he said, frowning at a stubborn glob of lizard guts, "this would be faster if I could just blast it off with wind magic."
"I'd rather be buried alive in dust than let you touch my armor with elemental anything," Yetsan replied coldly.
"See? No appreciation for innovation," Adiw sighed.
As the party worked with practiced coordination, they gathered dozens of usable Uromastyx hides, sharp fangs, and, to their delight, a dozen lizard mana stones, small, crystalline orbs still glowing faintly with residual energy.
Each item was wrapped and packed into individual members' magic bags, sorted for value and later appraisal. By the time the sun touched the horizon, the battlefield had transformed from chaos to commerce.
The spoils: dozens of skins, fangs, and a handful of mana stones, safely stored in their magic bags.
As the adrenaline faded and the last of the fieldwork wrapped up, the various adventurer parties began to scatter. Some packed their spoils onto wagons, others mounted beasts of burden, while a few disappeared into teleportation glyphs conjured by their mages. Each group headed off in a different direction, toward nearby towns, distant trade hubs, or border settlements to exchange their hard-earned trophies for coin and supplies. The once-crowded battlefield slowly emptied, leaving only the lingering scent of scorched dust and blood in the air.
Yuuna stepped forward, her expression calm and methodical. From her magic bag, she retrieved the small, palm-sized cube, the condensed form of their carriage. She knelt on the open plain and placed it carefully onto the grass. As her fingertips withdrew, the cube shimmered with a pulse of stored magic. A soft hum filled the air, and in a matter of seconds, it unfolded, rotated, and expanded outward in a series of smooth mechanical flourishes. Panels locked into place, wheels lowered from glowing sockets, and the golden crest of the keyblade and mana tree emerged in full display. The Stormrider Supreme Express IV stood once more, gleaming in the fading sunlight.
With practiced ease, the party regrouped and boarded the carriage. Girls took their spots in the glass-paneled cabin, while the others climbed onto the rear wagon or into the driver's section. Fuhiken checked the controls, and with the gentle purr of mana stones engaging beneath the chassis, the Stormrider began to move.
Their next destination: the bustling city of Bastrelheim.
---
To be continued.